


Opera

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [23]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gender or Sex Swap, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 01:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12495116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: Oh, so many things are going to happen at the opera tonight.





	Opera

**Author's Note:**

> Click [here](https://www.tbdress.com/product/A-Line-Halter-Beading-Short-Cocktail-Dress-12478899.html) to see Yuma's party dress.
> 
> Yuma sings part of the song "At the Opera Tonight" from Repo! The Genetic Opera, the lyrics of which also inspired the summary for this part.

Yuma flips the invitation between her fingers. A party for finalists. She hasn’t even gone to school, how is she supposed to go to a party?

“I’m sure no one will think less of you if you don’t go,” Astral says.

Yuma sighs. “I want to go. Or I want the motivation to go.” But it’s hard to get into a partying mood when Hart is still unconscious, Dr. Faker remains in hiding, and she has a sneaking suspicion that Michael was harmed by the shell of his own father. Not to mention she can’t stop thinking about how things would be if Rio were with her.

As of summoned by Yuma’s thoughts, Akari busts up through the attic door. “Stop moping,” she says, “If you miss much more school I’m taking your skateboard away.”

“Oh, gag on a spoon,” Yuma snaps. “I don’t give a crap about the stupid skateboard.”

Akari pulls herself up the rest of the way. “Watch your language,” she says. She takes the invitation out of Yuma’s hands and reads it. “What are you wearing?” She asks.

Yuma closes her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m going.” She sighs. “Ryoga and I are supposed to be enemies. This scary guy that I don’t want to encounter will be there. And all I can think about is how if Rio were here, she’d go as Jareth and I’d be Sarah in her peach-fever dream, or we’d be Shilo and Blind Mag.”

Akari takes Yuma’s hand and hauls her out of her hammock. “Well, you won’t find anything to wear by sitting in here all day. Come on, let’s go shopping.”

“What about school?” Yuma asks.

Akari waves her hand. “You’ve already missed half the day. Now let’s go.”

It’s been so long since they had an outing, just the two of them, never mind gone shopping together. Akari drives with the windows down and the radio blasting. They go to an outdoor mall and get lunch first, since Yuma “needs a dress that will fit after eating,” in Akari’s words.

They go into a prom dress shop. Akari has strict instructions—Yuma is fourteen, and will be photographed for anyone to see, so the dress can’t be backless, have a plunging neckline, or stop above her knee. So of course, the dress that Yuma falls in love with breaks all those rules. It’s red, with a sweetheart neckline that’s extended by a layer of sheer fabric that goes to her neck. The bodice, from waist to neck, is decorated with stones. It’s backless and stops above knee-length, but she loves it.

“Please!” Yuma begs, hopping up and down in front of Akari with her hands clasped. She’s got the dress on, and it fits perfectly. “It’s beautiful!”

The sales assistant is on Yuma’s side. “You won’t get a better fit on such short notice.”

Akari sighs. “Alright, but I’m picking your shoes.”

Yuma squeals and hugs her sister.

Akari picks sparkly, silver shoes Yuma would never wear otherwise, but thankfully they don’t have a heel, so she’s not worried about falling on her face. Akari even finds a bag that Yuma can use—also silver, with a thin strap that’ll go over her shoulder.

Yuma is all dolled up by evening. Akari brushes and styles Yuma’s hair in a high ponytail, secured with a rubber band and made pretty by a red ribbon. She wears pink lipstick and a touch of eyeshadow, and a layer of foundation and concealer that Akari spent an hour applying.

“You’re going to be photographed,” Akari had explained, “You don’t want to look older than you are, but you do want to look human.”

“I am human,” Yuma whined.

“Not with those camera flashes, you ain’t,” Akari laughed.

Akari can’t accompany her into Heartland’s inner sanctum, but she calls for a car that can. Yuma jams out to the Repo soundtrack on the ride over, but once her car gets into the queue for the red carpet, Yuma begins to panic. She clutches her invitation in her hands, then puts it back in her purse because her palms are sweating. She holds the key in her hands, then puts it around her neck out of fear she’ll drop it. She checks her makeup again and again. She bounces her leg up and down, quickly, tapping out a rhythm of anxiety on the car floor.

“Everything okay, Miss?” The driver asks.

“Fine,” Yuma squeaks. She wants to tell him to turn around, because she’s not grown up enough for this.

It feels like it takes forever to reach the red carpet, and yet it feels like it happened in the blink of an eye. Just as she considers kicking her shoes off and making a run for it, the car door is opened and…

“What’s up?” Ryoga asks, leaning down to look into the car.

Yuma stares at him. “Thought you were staying away from me,” She accuses.

Ryoga shrugs. He looks atrociously handsome in a dark suit, white shirt and white tie. “Well, you already pissed IV off. Plus your sister told me to make sure you don’t try to run.” He holds out his hand, and the play of light on his suit shows it to be deep blue, instead of black as Yuma originally thought. “Let’s go, Shilo, the Opera awaits.” He gives her a half-smile. “Unless you’d rather not be seen in public with a disgraced, cheating, former pro-duelist.”

Well, that clinches it. Yuma takes hold of Ryoga’s hand and keeps her head high as she exits the car. Ryoga seamlessly transfers Yuma’s hand to the crook of his elbow, and they walk down the red carpet. Over the roar of blood rushing in her ears, Yuma can hear the click of the cameras that go off. She remembers that Ryoga and Rio did some modeling as kids, and she’s not surprised that Ryoga is unaffected by the flashes of camera lights, but Yuma’s eyes begin to water.

“Don’t blink so much,” Ryoga whispers.

Yuma hopes she doesn’t look constipated in the pictures, because she feels like that’s the overwhelming look on her face right now. It’s better once they’re past the red carpet and she can finally blink.

“Ugh,” she groans, gently touching the corners of her eyes, “Isn’t it bright enough to not use flash?”

“Nope,” Ryoga laughs. They walk up a set of stairs and wait to present their invitations, and Yuma turns to look back at the red carpet. Photographers line each side, already turning to take pictures of the next guests. There’s a loud whistling noise, and fireworks explode over Heartland.

Yuma leans into Ryoga. “How is Hart?” She whispers.

“Orbital is with him,” Ryoga says. “No change, I’m afraid. I left Labyrinth on for him.”

Yuma’s heart twists and this time when tears sting her eyes, it’s for Hart.

“Invitation please,” a familiar voice says, and Yuma yelps and holds up her fists.

“You!” She hisses at Gauche.

The man blinks. “You!” He cries.

Ryoga snatches Yuma’s invitation from her purse and shoves it and his own invitation at Gauche. “There you go,” he says smoothly, and he grabs Yuma’s hand and steers her inside. The sound of camera clicks and fireworks fade, replaced by band music.

“No fists for god’s sake,” Ryoga scolds, “You’re a lady.”

“How dare you accuse me of such a thing,” Yuma mutters, shaking out her arms. The rush of adrenaline has her buzzing now. She looks around the room, finding the source of the music to be, of all things, a band of litterbots playing instruments. More robots circle the room, carrying trays of food, and in the center of the room is a giant cake. It’s obscene.

Ryoga holds out his arm again, and Yuma clutches it in both hands. She looks around the room for Kite, IV, or V. Actually, that’s not their names, and she never told Ryoga that.

“III came to me,” Yuma whispers. “His proper name is Michael. He said he was going to duel Tron, his father, and I haven’t heard from him since. Tron is the one calling the shots in that family, making the boys do his dirty work.”

Ryoga shakes his head. “Explain it properly later,” he says. He grabs two flute-glasses from a passing robot and hands one to Yuma. She takes a sip of it and almost chokes.

“Ryoga, this is champagne!” She hisses. “I’m underage!”

Ryoga shrugs and takes a sip. “It’s hardly got any alcohol,” he says as Yuma looks flabbergasted. Ryoga rolls his eyes at her. “I know for a fact Red let you drink.”

“In a dark shed away from the eyes of the public!” Yuma says, shaking her head. “Look, the point of my earlier story is IV and V aren’t real names. V is Chris, and IV’s real name is Thomas.”

Ryoga actually chokes on his next sip of champagne. “For real?” He coughs.

Yuma smiles. “I know, right? It’s so ordinary!”

“It’s so dorky!” Ryoga says.

They start giggling, but just as Yuma begins to relax, she looks across the room and catches sight of Thomas. Her laughter freezes in her throat and the champagne glass slips from her fingers, but a passing robot catches it.

“Yuma,” Ryoga says, suddenly serious, “He can’t hurt you here.”

Yuma breathes through her fear. _“I must be brave…”_ she sings in a whisper, _“Come, come what may.”_

“You got it, Shilo,” Ryoga says.

Yuma exhales, and turns away from Thomas…only to see Chris with his hands on Kite’s shoulders.

“Oh, no he don’t!” Yuma snarls, and she takes off across the room before Ryoga can stop her. But by the time she arrives, Chris is gone, and Kite is glowering at empty space.

“Where did he go?” Yuma demands. “I got a bone to pick with him!”

“Leave it, Yuma,” Kite says firmly.

Yuma ignores his warning. “I saw him put his hands on you, did he hurt you?”

“No!” Kite says, exasperated. “God, I’m eighteen Yuma, I can take care of myself.”

“Age has nothing to do with this,” Yuma tells him, “Is it so hard for you to believe that I am concerned about you?”

“Kite,” says a female voice.

Yuma and Kite both turn. A woman steps out from behind a pillar, her eyes only on Kite. “May I speak with you?”

Kite stiffens, and Yuma instinctively reaches for his hand, before remembering that she and Kite are supposed to be enemies. She drops her hand.

The woman’s eyes snap to Yuma, and she frowns. “Alone,” she says pointedly.

Yuma recognizes this woman, she’s one of the referees, along with Gauche, was her name Droite? Yuma thinks so. Yuma knows she’s being looked down on, and it stings, but she can’t do anything about it right now. “See you in the finals,” Yuma says without looking at Kite. She walks away, and Ryoga finds her.

“What happened?” Ryoga asks upon seeing Yuma’s face.

Yuma shakes her head. “Nothing, I just forgot that Kite and I need to be enemies.” She huffs. “You and he drive me crazy. You’ve gotten better but still, why do boys feel the need to push away people who want to comfort them?”

“Toxic masculinity?” Ryoga offers.

Yuma frowns. “Oh. That’s a good answer, I guess.”

The music changes to something like a waltz, and a few couples form an impromptu dance floor.

“Want to dance?” Ryoga asks her.

Yuma hesitates.

“He was watching you,” Astral whispers in Yuma’s ear. Yuma didn’t even realize he was out of the Key. She gives him a questioning look, and he clarifies, “Kite, after you walked away.”

For some reason, that makes Yuma feel better, and she relaxes and turns to Ryoga with a smile. “Okay, let’s dance, Grave Robber.”

“Shilo never dances with him,” Ryoga says with a snort.

“No, but this is my opera, isn’t it?” Yuma asks. She twirls, and as her skirt billows around her legs she’s happy that Akari made her wear shorts. She holds her hands out to Ryoga, and he takes them.

They’re the youngest people on the dance floor. Some couples are practically snuggling as they stare into each other’s eyes. Ryoga keeps one hand on Yuma’s waist, and she keeps one hand on his shoulder, and they keep their other hands clasped and elevated, backs straight and heads held high. Yuma and Ryoga step in a familiar pattern, one they learned when Yuma and Rio talked Ryoga into joining them for ballroom dancing, so they could dance just like Sarah and Jareth.

“I can’t believe you remember this,” Yuma says as Ryoga leads her into a spin.

Ryoga smiles as Yuma finishes her spin and rests her hand on his shoulder again. “I can’t believe _you_ remember,” he says, “I danced with you and Rio, I had double practice.”

“I danced alone, in my room,” Yuma says, “I had imaginary partners.” Sometimes she danced with Jareth, sometimes with Rio, and sometimes with Ryoga.

Speaking of Ryoga…Yuma can’t stop thinking about that kiss. She knows why he did it, but at the same time, she has no idea. She had told him about her and Astral, and while she and Astral have discussed Ryoga, Yuma has had no discussion about her relationship with Astral and how it works between her and Ryoga. Oh, now her head hurts.

“Ryoga?” She asks quietly.

Ryoga’s expression changes. “What is it?” He asks.

Yuma stops dancing. She takes both of Ryoga’s hands in her own and pulls him towards a wall. As they stand away from the people on the floor, Yuma’s mouth suddenly feels dry. “Why did you kiss me?”

Ryoga doesn’t take his eyes off her. “I fought off the numbers’ influence by thinking of Rio, and you. It’s always been the three of us, hasn’t it? I’ve thought about her so much recently. Of course I know what she is to me, she’s my sister, my twin, I’ve been by her side since before my life began. That’s a bond I’ll always have, and of course I love her. I’ve been friends with you for years, but I’ve never thought of you as a sister. Still, the mere thought of you gives me strength the same way the thought of Rio does. I know I love you, differently from the way I love her. I thought I had to leave you to keep you safe.” He shakes his head and smiles. “I should have known you wouldn’t stay away. But I really thought, in that moment, that it would be a while before we could talk again. So I just couldn’t let you go without…without doing something incredibly selfish, really. I suppose in the end, it was for my own…curiosity, satisfaction, peace of mind, whatever it was, but that was why I kissed you. I know I must have made you so confused, and I’m sorry for that.”

“Are you sorry you kissed me?” Yuma asks.

Ryoga gulps, Yuma can see his throat move as he does it. “Well, I’m sorry if it made things difficult for you and Astral. and I’m sorry if it wasn’t what you wanted.”

At that, Yuma rolls her eyes. “If it wasn’t what I wanted, I would have punched you, not kissed you back.” She looks around. Astral is standing nearby, watching them with a smile. He nods, encouraging. “As for me and Astral, no, it didn’t affect things between us. He actually asked me, before you even kissed me, if I loved you.”

“What did you tell him?” Ryoga asks.

“That I do love you,” Yuma says, “But…I didn’t know if it was the same way I loved Astral.”

“So now what do you think?” Ryoga asks.

Yuma inhales deeply. “I…”

Suddenly the lights go out, and confetti explodes over a balcony. “HEART BURNING!” Mr. Heartland screams as the lights turn back on, all focused on him.

People applaud and Yuma closes her mouth as nausea overcomes her.

“Welcome to the party!” Mr. Heartland says, “I would now like to introduce our finalists for the World Duel Carnival!”

Yuma’s heart races. She has to go up there? Now? Next to Heartland in front of all these people? But a high-pitched giggle echoes around the room and the lights go out again.

“What now?” Ryoga asks, sounding annoyed, but Yuma sees the problem.

“Oh shit,” she gasps as a child-like person in a mask skips into the room. “It’s the gremlin!” She grabs Ryoga’s hand and hauls him towards the door. “The repo man approaches, show’s over!”

“What are you talking about?” Ryoga asks.

“I love cake,” Tron cries.

Yuma yanks Ryoga outside and they race down the red carpet, hand-in-hand. “It’s Thomas and Chris’ father,” she whispers of the click of camera shutters. “The guy who kidnapped Hart!”

Ryoga veers to the right, dragging Yuma with him. He leads her to a corner, where his motorcycle is parked, and tosses her a helmet. “Let’s go,” he says.

Yuma jams the helmet on, crushing her ponytail, and hops onto the bike. Ryoga takes off, speeding through Heartland, out of the gates of the city, and onto the highway.

“Where are we going?” Ryoga calls over the rush of wind.

“Anywhere!” Yuma shouts back.

 

* * *

 

 

They end up in a park, close enough to the city that they can still see Heartland tower in the distance. Ryoga leaves Yuma on a bench, his jacket over her shoulders, and goes to a nearby grocery store. Yuma wrenches her hair free of the scrunchie that Akari seems to have made 3 times too tight. As Yuma massages feeling back into her scalp, Ryoga comes back with two bottles of water.

“Why?” Yuma asks as hands her a bottle.

“Because we need it,” Ryoga answers, handing her the bottle.

“No, why isn’t it alcohol?” Yuma grumbles.

“Because we need to be up tomorrow,” Ryoga laughs. “And weren’t you just the one scolding me for handing you champagne?”

Yuma heaves a sigh. “That was before our opera got crashed by a gremlin.”

“Right,” Ryoga says, sitting beside Yuma. “So, explain to me what you know.”

So Yuma tells him everything Michael told her, about Tron, Faker, and why they kidnapped Hart. She tells him that Michael left her house, and she hasn’t heard from him since.

“You really think a father could hurt his own son?” Ryoga asks.

“I think that thing is barely human,” Yuma says, “You should have seen the look on it—oh fine, _his_ face when I burst in to rescue Hart. I’ve never seen such anger. And Michael said it himself, his father would never condone the things Tron has done, so what does that make Tron?”

Ryoga leans forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Why a gremlin?”

“He’s too big to be a goblin,” Yuma says haughtily.

Ryoga chuckles. “Well, at least we’re away from him now.”

“And being thrown to the lion’s den tomorrow,” Yuma says. She leans against the bench and looks up at the sky. There’s too much light pollution to see the stars. She reaches for Ryoga and paws at his arm until he gives her his hand. “Let’s run away,” she says.

“Where to?” He asks.

“A mountain,” Yuma says. “In the middle of nowhere. We can go off the grid, build a cabin and be goat herders, and never see Tron or Thomas or Chris ever again.”

Ryoga squeezes her hand. “Off the grid means it would be hard for Rio and Hart. And Astral would never get his memories back.”

Yuma sighs. “I know. I would never last in the wild, anyway. No TV.”

Ryoga laughs. Yuma sits up and rests her head on his shoulder.

“Astral is my soulmate,” Yuma says. “Rio may be your twin, but in some ways she’s mine, too. My soul-twin, different from a soulmate. I love her but we’re too similar to be lovers. And you…you’re nothing like Astral. You drive me crazy, you make my blood boil, but you know my anger and my hurts because you have the same feelings. And at the same time…I get a rush out of making you laugh, and I love teasing you. I want you to smile more. I want to go out with you and hold your hand. I wouldn’t give you up for anyone, which is great, because Astral would never ask me to give you up.”

Ryoga’s shoulders shake as he exhales. He turns his head and brushes his lips against her forehead. “I’d never ask you to give up Astral, either.”

Yuma tilts her head up and kisses Ryoga. He turns towards her and cups one hand under her jaw, and Yuma squeezes his other hand tight. In the morning, they’ll be on their own, but Yuma will always have this memory, no matter what happens.

 

* * *

 

 

Ryoga drives Yuma home. She kisses him before she goes inside, and as she kicks her shoes off in the front hall, she yells, “Sis, you are not going to believe what I just did.” She looks up to find Kite standing in front of her.

“Oh, what now?” Yuma asks, dropping her stupid purse on the floor.

“I planted a bug on V,” Kite says.

“Chris,” Yuma corrects, “We’re calling him Chris, or Christopher, or Krissy, something that makes him less intimidating.”

Kite’s mouth twitches like he’s trying not to smile. Yuma leans forward and pinches his cheek. “Oooh, aren’t you a cutie when you almost smile,” she coos.

Kite knocks her hand away, scowl back and firmly in place. “This is serious Yuma, Tron hired some of the contestants to gang up on you.”

“Good,” Yuma says, “Turn the recording over to the police.”

“There is no recording,” Kite says. “Unfortunately, the device is too small, it just transmits the audio to me, it doesn’t record.”

Yuma throws her hands up. “Wonderful,” she says sarcastically. “Then why bother telling me?”

“Because,” Kite says, “Tron wants these duelists to push you and show him what your power is.”

Power…Yuma turns to Astral, and he nods. “Tron wants us to form Zexal,” he says.

“Well tough shit for Tron,” Yuma says. “I’m on to him now.” She claps Kite on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”


End file.
